Go Go Power Rangers Issue 20
Go Go Power Rangers #20 'is the twentieth issue of the Go Go Power Rangers comic by Boom! Studios that focuses on the daily lives of the Power Rangers. This issue is part of an underlying arc that is slowly building to the comic continuity version of the ''Green with Evil story. Synopsis ''With Rita on the hunt and the students of Angel Grove High in danger, the Rangers are forced to make fast choices to protect their friends. With the clock ticking, Zach must decide whether he will listen to Zordon, or disobey direct orders if it means helping the others.''https://shop.boom-studios.com/comics/detail/9453/go-go-power-rangers-20 Plot Five years before Arrival Day, Zack is in his father's car and refuses to come out as he doesn't want to go to a juice bar and wants to hang out with his cousin Curtis. Mr. Taylor tries to explain that the place they are going to is also a gym and has video games he can play. Zack is still reluctant, but his father makes him a deal, if Zack goes and still doesn't like the place after ten minutes inside and a free milkshake, they can go and never come back here. A younger Ernie is standing at a podium doing a speech to commemorate the grand opening of his Youth Center. He gets personal and says he was once a "Gym Rat" athlete, his uncle owned a small gym that he would hang out at every day after school. At one point, another kid started visiting the gym named Scott whom he became friends with. At first, Ernie thought that Scott was there to train to be "the next Mike Tyson", but in reality Scott had an abusive family and the gym was the only place he felt safe. This left an impact on Ernie and after his uncle fell on hard times and had to close his gym, he never saw Scott again and never knew what happened to him. He then decided that he would work hard to build a place like that gym, where kids could play, make new friends and most importantly have a place where they could feel safe regardless of what their lives outside it are. Life is hard enough to deal with when you are alone, but at the Angel Grove Youth Center, kids would never have to face life's challenges alone. Zack hears the speech and is impressed, he enters the building and after admitting it isn't so bad, meets Jason for the first time. Back in the present, Goldar, Squatt and Baboo are attacking the patrons of the Youth Center with an army of Putties. Goldar demands that the Rangers appear and surrender only one of themselves over to his empress, then the "tiny" humans might be spared and leave alive and unharmed. Skull asks Bulk what they are going to do and Bulk tells his buddy that he is going to run and get help and for him to stay there and hide. Bulk charges towards the exit, only for Goldar to grab Bulk and lift him over his head and be made a hostage. Goldar again demands the Power Rangers show themselves, knowing they are among the crowd somewhere in plain sight. Kimberly wants to punch Goldar in the mouth for hurting Bulk, but Trini says that there are too many witnesses and they need to find a way to clear everyone out so its safe to morph. Besides, the others will show up eventually to fend off Goldar. On the Moon, Rita gloats that the Rangers and their compassion will be their downfall this time, ordering her minions to bring one of them to her to activate the Dragon Power Coin. Lady Fienna says her daughter isn't fooling anyone and Rita actually cares for those who serve under her. Rita rejects this as they are more trouble than they are worth, but Lady Fienna says it is true, despite failing her time and time again, she forgives them. Rita coldly fires back asking if her mother cared about Master Vile. Lady Fienna says that once long ago she believed he did, she has to believe that. Rita thinks that if her mother was denied proof of that it makes her a fool. Lady Fienna responds that their love for each other created Rita and that is all the proof she needs. Once, long before Rita was born, Master Vile was a kind, forgiving and even gentle soul. Rita laughs at such a notion, thinking her mother is making it up as a joke. Lady Fienna says that it is true and all evil is a sickness and that her husband became consumed by it. She knows she cannot get the man she loved back, but she hopes she can redeem her daughter, as she has small sparks of compassion and love in her still and isn't completely beyond redemption. Rita merely glares at her mother as she resumes observing her forces attacking Angel Grove. In the Command Center, Billy and Zack race upstairs and apoligize to Zordon for not recieving the call ealrier as they were in the lab. They morph and prepare to head out, but stop when Zordon denies Alpha 1 to go out into the field as they do not want to escalate the situation. They need to know what Rita is planning first and the Power Rangers are capable of handling the situation. Surprisingly, Zack refuses to go with Zordon's plan and states that Alpha 1 is coming with them. He explains that they need to end the fight as quickly as possible so they can rescue the people trapped inside and despite Zordon's initial reluctance, he finally agrees and asks Alpha 5 to teleport them all to the Youth Center. Goldar, growing impatient, decides that maybe if he slowly removes Bulk's limbs the Rangers will hear his tormented cries and it will "inspire" them to come to the rescue. Kimberly can't take it anymore and prepares to morph despite Trini holding her back. Fortunately, Jason arrives as the Red Ranger and after hearing Goldar's demand, agrees to go with him if he lets Bulk go. He does so, but Ernie and Skull inspire the people around them to protect the Red Ranger by grabbing whatever they can pick up and throw it at him in a food fight. This buys Kim and Trini time to hide somewhere and morph, while an enraged Goldar threatens to kill everyone in the Youth Center for attacking him. Zack, Billy and Alpha 1 teleport in and charge into the fight. Jason tells the team that he will take care of Goldar while they handle the rest. Kimberly tells Squatt and Baboo that they have a simple understanding arrangement, they don't attack their place and they don't attack Rita's Palace, she threatens them with her bow after beating them up saying the Youth Center is off limits. Both of them get scared and agree never to come back, teleporting away in retreat. Kimberly is then surprised when Matt thanks her for saving them and compliments her, which becomes awkward as both stare at each other for a bit until he volunteers to escort the civilians to safety and let her do her thing wishing her good luck. Kimberly gives an awkward and whispered "thank you" as he runs off. The other Rangers watch in awe as Jason holds his own against Goldar, who reveals that he wants to see whose soul is worthy for his plan and he will kill them until only the worthy one is left. Their fight is interrupted when Alpha 1 opens fire and hits Goldar in the back, saying he cannot allow this to continue. The Rangers ask what is going on, and Alpha 1 basically says that he intends for the Rangers to execute Goldar while he is helpless. He has blasted Goldar with a teleportation scrambler to prevent him from running away and that if they let him escape, they will repeat this all over again so it is best to slaughter the monster where he lies. The Rangers refuse, so Alpha 1 decides to "save them from themselves" and do it himself. Zack tries to reason with Alpha 1, only to be smacked in the face by the robot. Goldar, now terrified, pleads for his life as Alpha 1 prepares to terminate him, only for Trini to shoot Alpha 1 in the neck with her Blade Blaster and say she never did like him. Jason orders the team to avoid Alpha 1's hand cannon fire and hit him fast and hard. Alpha 1 states they are fools as he purposely didn't reveal his full combat capabilities in case of such a scenario, unleashing a devastating burst of energy while shielding himself that knocks the Rangers back. Alpha 1 then entraps the stunned Rangers in a forcefield, stating how fortunate they are that he is equipped with non-lethal gear. He could easily kill all of them, but his quarrel isn't with the Rangers, it is with Zordon. Zordon contacts him and asks what Alpha 1 is doing, with the robot responding that he is doing everything Zordon will not do. Zordon begins to say that he doesn't know what Alpha 1 wants but betraying the Rangers isn't going to achieve that, only to be cut off by his former ally saying that he does not wish to be lectured on betrayal. After rebuilding himself and continuing his mission across the galaxy, Alpha 1 had an epiphany about Zordon's methods: they do not work and the universe suffers because of it. The robot rants that the sage's secrecy, unwillingness to escalate a fight and moral restrictions have left countless worlds vulnerable and let a war drag on for millennia when it could have ended long ago. The truth is...Zordon is scared, too scared to have blood on his hands in war. Surprisingly, Zordon says this is true, he is scared. He admits that if he abandoned his compassion, mercy and pity he could gladly become a monster that slays countless lives if it meant sparing the innocent...but he holds onto his beliefs to honor the ideals of those he fought with and those who still fight, all those who bled and died to protect peace. How could he look them in the eye and say that their sacrifice meant nothing? Alpha 1 has the equivalent of a mental breakdown upon hearing this, insulted and thinking his only purpose to the sage was to be a sacrificial lamb and left to die just to be an inspirational monument to others. He decides the sage is a fool and can no longer be the dictating force of the terms of good and evil. He hoped that he would convince the Rangers to join him, but sees them as "far too brainwashed" and loyal to Zordon's cause. Alpha 1 now intends to kill Zordon, viewing him as an obstacle to his programming directives of bringing peace and prosperity to the universe. He also intends of "relieving" the sage's Rangers of their powers after Zordon dies and granting them to more worthy and willing soldiers, more suitable ones than mere children. Alpha 1 shouts he will fulfill his directive, even if it means eliminating his master in the process. As he rants, he generates a huge magnetic field that pulls in cars and metal fragments and assimilates them, slowly upgrading himself into a Megazord-sized body to attack the Command Center as the Power Rangers watch helplessly inside the forcefield... '''To Be Continued... Errors *''to be added'' Covers GGPR 20.jpg|Main cover Dan Mora 0185607932-full.jpg|Retro Variant 0185607075-full.jpg|Movie poster variant Notes *'Movie Variant Cover Reference:' *'TV Series Retro Variant Cover:' Green With Evil Part 1 *This issue delves a bit into Ernie's character, revealing his motivation to help the kids of Angel Grove. *This issue may be the final of the movie poster variants, as next issue will feature a retro music album cover, Tragic Kingdom from 1995. *The next numbered issue was delayed by one month, as the special issue Forever Rangers #1 was released in June and thus took up the time of the creative staff to focus on that book.